How to Light a Cigar

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Unless you have smoked a few before, lighting up a cigar can be a somewhat perplexing activity. You should begin by choosing a top-notch quality cigar. Cigars can be up to an inch thick, and a smaller one should be chosen by new smokers. You should enjoy the scent of the cigar you buy, because if you find the scent appalling, then you will likely not enjoy the experience. Once you have successfully chosen a cigar, one that has no soft spots when felt, there are still a few things you need to think about. There are certain things that all cigar smokers tend to do, and you do not want to be the one caught not knowing what you are doing. The following are all the things you need to know about lighting up a cigar for the first time.

Cutting Your Cigar

Before you light your cigar up, you want to clip off the end of the cigar. The finest way to cut off the end is with a purpose-built cigar clipper. Using a knife to cut a cigar is only suitable if you do not have a cigar clipper on hand. Biting off the end of a cigar like in an old movie ought to be avoided if at all possible. For the best smoking outcomes, you should slice off the end with a swift, solid gesture to avoid ripping the cigar.

What to Light a Cigar With

You have got a lot of options, but a torch lighter is considered the greatest choice for lighting the tip of the cigar. Wooden matches will also work, but they are hard to keep lit for the long periods of time that is necessary. The matches have to remain lit for a while to let the sulfur burn off before the cigar can be lit, which makes them an unfortunate choice for novices. On the other hand, normal cigarette lighters will light a cigar, but had better be evaded if possible. Many connoisseurs claim that the naphtha lighter fluid used chemicals that can disturb the taste of the cigar. You should never use random flames from things such as candles, paper matches or a stove to light a cigar otherwise the essence can be affected.

When Beginning to Light a Cigar

Once you have an ideal flame, you can initiate lighting the cigar by holding it at a 45-degree angle above the blaze. Keep the blaze around three inches from the tip of the cigar and keep the cigar spinning and slowly puff on the cigar while waiting for the base to catch fire. Never let the direct flame touch the cigar. Keeping the fire a few inches away will bind the outer layers of the tobacco and hold the cigar together. If you touch the flame to the cigar, only the filler will catch fire, and the cigar will burn irregularly. The outer wrapper with become ashen and white when it has been properly toasted.

The Next Step in Lighting

After the initial light, take a look at the tip to make sure the cigar is burning evenly. Lightly puffing on the foot will warrant an ample lighting. Once the cigar has started burning, let it simmer for a bit. This small suspension will permit the newly ignited cigar to even out.

Next, is the time to light the filler. Using a longer wooden match will generate a bigger flame range so that you can ignite the total filler steadily. Holding the match about a half an inch from the cigar, with it between your lips rotating it as you suck in air. A gush of a blaze ought to sprout out from the end of the cigar, and a cloud of smoke should leave your mouth when the cigar is successfully lit.

Tips and Tricks

Most of the first-class handmade cigars that are more pricey will hold a very long ash before falling off. The higher quality cigars will have a whiter, less gray ash as well. The ash of a cigar should never be tapped off like with a cigarette. Bigger ash is a sign of a well-made cigar, but it should not be left too long. A lot of ash on the tip of a cigar can delay the airflow and make it burn unevenly or disturb the taste. It is suggested that you should not let the get any longer than an inch before you ash it by gently rolling it on the ashtray while waiting for it to break off.

Sometimes cigars begin to burn unevenly or get a run that is burning faster than the rest (this is called "cigar canoeing" or "running"). One way to fix this irregular fire is to rotate the cigar where the part that is burning too slow is on the bottom. Since fire needs oxygen to burn, the bottom of the cigar burns more quickly. This method should even out the cigar's flame. Another, method to solve the irregular burning is to apply moisture to the wrapper where the fire needs to slow down. Be sure not to touch the tip that is on fire, only touch the wrapper to keep from being burned. A final way to solve the problem is to burn off the uneven section. Roasting the end of the cigar with a flame will cause the end of the cigar that is too long to fall off. Just be careful not to be burned by the falling ash.

Getting rid of a cigar's label is left up to personal preference. If you want to remove it, an excellent tip it to leave it on for a few minutes first. The high temperature of the cigar will relax the paste, and it is less probable for damage to be done to the cigar's wrap.

Relighting a Cigar

Relighting cigars is an important thing to know because by nature they will go out if not puffed on every few minutes. Some people believe that you can save an incompletely smoked cigar for more than 24 hours; however, it is best to dodge relighting a cigar that has not been smoked in more than two hours. Relighting a fresh cigar is not a problem. When reviving a cigar, hold the flame in front of the tip and puff outward to assist in ejecting any long-standing vapors or ash that may have become surrounded in the cigar. After that step, you can follow the same typical lighting actions as when igniting a cigar for the first time. To put out a cigar, lay in on an ashtray and let it go out naturally.

Conclusion

Lighting your first cigar can be a daunting task if you are uninformed. After selecting a superior quality cigar, that does not flake or have any other flaws; you should cut off the tip. A cigar clipper is suggested, but a knife can be used to cut a cigar. Never bite off the tip of a cigar because the cigar will rip. Choosing what to ignite the cigar with is very important for preserving the flavor. A long wooden match or butane lighter is suggested for conserving the best essence of a cigar. Lighting the outer layers of the cigar first will hold it together so that the filler can then be lit. Once you learn how to light your cigar properly, you can really relax and enjoy the hobby.

Written By Josh Taylor

I am the managing editor at TheCigarMasters.com and love all things cigars. When I'm not smoking a fine cigar and sipping scotch you can find me hanging with friends, bingeing on the latest Netflix series, or scuba diving.

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